Sales 2.0: Leading a Sales Transformation

Sales 2.0 Conference, San Francisco March 7-8, 2011 sales20conf.com/SF2011

Leading a Sales Transformation

Michael WeeningVP Business & Consumer Markets

President, Radio & PagingBell Mobility


An introduction

The only build you will see in this presentation


What is Sales Transformation?

• Sales transformation is simply taking an organization from A to B

– The starting point and magnitude depends on the state of the business

– Can happen multiple times through an organization’s lifecycle

– Very little is written about the process

• Why the sales transformation gets derailed

– The busy manager versus the leader: The pressure of the number

– Differentiator is the leader with a plan

• 1979 MBA study: 13% with goals (2X), 3% with goals and a plan 10X

• Where do you start? A proposed framework


Assessing the Situation

The First 90 Days Assessment Model (Watkins, HBR Press)

• To ascertain where you are you must question and listen

– Gerstner and his first year at IBM


A Sample Model

• The 5 pillars that I use for assessment:

– GROWTH, PEOPLE, CUSTOMER, PARTNERSHIP,

OPERATIONS

• The first 60 days is all about listening

– Avoid jumping to solutions and “I use to do it this way” (Manage

the pacesetter)

• The next 30 days is about delivering the plan for the sales

transformation


Sample Overview: People30 - 60 Days Goal: Ascertain morale, relative quality of the teams/people, past performance, culture & identify quick wins

• Introduction into the business.

• All hands introduction (multiple to accommodate schedule)

• Quick field tour: 1:1 introduction/Q&A with each team (geographic considerations) to seek direct feedback, get the pulse of the field: morale, common themes

(positive & negative), affinity to corporate values / business themes, sense of urgency, speed of cultural change.

• Implement vitality curve review of all individual contributors with mgmt team mapped by performance (20/70/10) & tenure

• Identification of high potentials, performance issues, potential change agents.

• Execute 1:1s with direct reports reviewing past/present performance, career path, motivation, morale, goal setting. Ensure HR provides pre-meeting data.

• Work with HR/SVP to build management team vitality curve (tenure, performance), review succession plans.

• Execute external assessment (i.e. Predictive index) to facilitate development conversations.

• Identify key relationships in organization (product support, partner groups, selling partners). Organize networking 1:1s across organization (60 day timeline)

• Assessment of existing communications culture (i.e. F2F, portals, blogs, email, vmail, voice culture)

• Review existing rewards (i.e. Compensation, incentives) and recognition (i.e. Celebrating wins, birthdays) systems/culture

• Execute review with HR:

• Existing budgets (training, morale), training programs (LMS, etc), performance tools, new hire onboarding, mentor programs, grad hire, talent programs,.

• Current state review of top & bottom (i.e. Identified high potentials, performance issues) and review how the organization measures people state (management

feedback, employee opinion polls)

90 Days Goal: Formalize the plan to build the highest performing team

• Plan formalization:

• Implementation of key people themes (i.e. Net attractor of talent, great team, cross group)

• Operations rhythm: Rhythm to people reviews, performance management, high potential management, communications model (1:1s at all levels, skip level pulse

1:1s, portals, email, voicemail, etc.)

• Identification of changes that will lead to the highest of performing team

• Full review with key stakeholders at 30,60, 90 days


Sample Overview: People30 - 60 Days Plan: Ascertain morale, relative quality of the teams/people, past performance and culture.





• Implement vitality curve review of all individual contributors with mgmt team mapped by performance (20/70/10), tenure


• Identify key hiring issues and review recruitment plan


• Work with HR/SVP to build management team vitality curve (tenure, performance).

• Review succession plans.






• Existing budgets (training, morale), training programs (LMS, etc), performance tools, new hire onboarding, mentor programs, grad, talent programs



90 Days Formalize the plan to build the highest performing team


• Operations rhythm: Rhythm to people reviews, performance management, high potential management, communications model (1:1s at all levels, skip level pulse 1:1s,

portals, email, voicemail, etc.)

• Identification of changes that will lead to the highest of performing teams

• Introduction to the business

• Vitality curve

• 1:1s Up – Down – Sideways

• Communication

• Rewards

• Seeking ‘quick wins’ to establish credibility


Sample Overview: Operations

30 - 60 Days

• Goal: Understand the current state of the business, identify quick wins and immediate focus points

• Plan:

• Review current state of the business against budgets, action plans, trends.

• Review 2009 sales force planning process (i.e. Territory growth planning, quota setting, market segmentation, goal setting)

• Review current operational reporting model and metrics:

• How does organization build their version of current situation? Customer sat, product reporting, revenue, margin, share,

scorecard implementation

• Rhythm of review operational review:

• Forecasting and metrics review (daily, weekly, monthly – by level) and process

• Sales force 2009 business and growth plans review rhythm

• How is pricing variance/discounting managed by segment?

• Review sales force support infrastructure (i.e. CRM, sales tools), IT plan.

• Are sales reps spending <>50% of their time with clients?

• Are manager spending <>60% of their time with reps on pipe and coaching?

• Review operational integration cross group: orchestration with finance, HR, products, marketing and selling partners (i.e. Enterprise),

rhythm of review

90 Days

• Goal: Formalize plan to deliver operational excellence

• Plan formalization:

• Highly dependant on existing state. Implementation of operational rhythm and structure which provides a single view of business state

while maximizing field customer time.



Sample Overview: Operations

30 - 60 Days: Understand the current state of the business, identify quick wins and immediate focus points

• Review current state of the business (against budgets), action plans, trends.

• Review sales force planning process (i.e. Territory growth planning, quota setting, market segmentation, goal

setting)


• How does organization build their version of current situation? Customer sat, product reporting,

revenue, margin, share, scorecard implementation


• Forecasting and metrics review (daily, weekly, monthly – by level)



• Review operational integration cross group: orchestration with finance, HR, products, marketing and selling

partners (i.e. Enterprise), rhythm of review

90 Days Formalize plan to deliver operational excellence

• Plan formalization highly dependant on existing state. Implementation of operational rhythm and structure

which provides a single view of business state while maximizing field customer time.

30 - 60 Days Plan: Ascertain morale, relative quality of the teams/people, past performance and culture.
























• Current state (i.e. Budget versus performance)

• Key execution processes and metrics

• Level of automation versus ‘noise’


Overview: Growth Strategy

30 - 60 Days

• Goal: Understand existing state of strategy, identify quick wins.

• Plan:

• Review existing strategy and growth plans at all levels (i.e. Territory plans, manager growth plans, director growth

plans, organizations growth plan)

• What are the key changes to differentiate and beat market?

• What is the evolution of the value proposition?

• What is the right mix of resources per segment?

• Review rhythms for planning and strategy (i.e. Budget setting, market assessment phases)

• Review key stakeholder strategies (marketing, partner sales organizations, product) and input on existing business

strategy

• Review key external inputs and market opportunity (i.e. Assessments, market reviews)

• Identify mechanism for team input into evolving strategy (i.e. Vision setting exercise, virtual teams, leverage high

potentials)

90 Days

• Goal & plan:

• Clearly communicate a plan and timeline to build a multi-year strategy that scales from individual contributors, line

management, functional group and crosses organizations.

• Plan to span people, customer & partner, growth, competition & operations.



Overview: Growth Strategy

30 - 60 Days Understand existing state of strategy, identify quick wins.

• Review existing strategy and growth plans at all levels (i.e. Territory plans, manager

growth plans, director growth plans, organizations growth plan)

• What are the key changes to differentiate and beat market?

• Review rhythms for planning and strategy (i.e. Budget setting, market assessment

phases)

• Review key stakeholder strategies (marketing, partner sales organizations, product) and

input on existing business strategy

• Review key external inputs and market opportunity (i.e. Assessments, market reviews)

• Identify mechanism for team input into evolving strategy (i.e. Vision setting exercise,

virtual teams, leverage high potentials)

90 Days Dependant on current state

• Clearly communicate a plan and timeline to build a multi-year strategy that scales from

individual contributors, line management, functional group and crosses organizations.

• Plan to span people, customer & partner, growth, competition & operations.

30 - 60 Days: Understand the current state of the business, identify quick wins and immediate focus points

• Review current state of the business (against budgets), action plans, trends.

• Review sales force planning process (i.e. Territory growth planning, quota setting, market segmentation, goal

setting)


• How does organization build their version of current situation? Customer sat, product reporting,

revenue, margin, share, scorecard implementation


• Forecasting and metrics review (daily, weekly, monthly – by level)



• Review operational integration cross group: orchestration with finance, HR, products, marketing and selling

partners (i.e. Enterprise), rhythm of review

90 Days Formalize plan to deliver operational excellence

• Plan formalization highly dependant on existing state. Implementation of operational rhythm and structure

which provides a single view of business state while maximizing field customer time.

30 - 60 Days Plan: Ascertain morale, relative quality of the teams/people, past performance and culture.
























• Is there a strategy and planning process?

• Timelines, decision criteria, participants

• What are the key inputs?

• Interorganizational model and engagement

• Competitive landscape and other core inputs


Sample ‘Plan Builder’

• The 60 day - 72 item ‘Brain dump’

• Leveraged with GMs to build a plan

• And then stakeholders.

Category Priority Description Current State Implications/Comments Future State Action Plan Status

Customer & Partner Segmentation

Variable segmentation across Canada

Geographic variance of segmentation, but not aligned to resources (0-15, 0-49, 16-100, 16-250, etc.)

Formalized segmentation matched to resource map

1. Review segmentation by geography and sales structure by segment. 2. Execute transition 0

Customer & Partner VAR & ISV

Both teams report regionally

No best practice sharing, inconsistent strategies, potential lost opportunity (driving through partners) Reog VAR/ISV

1. Reorg VAR/ISV to Solutions TEAM 2. Review ISV model profitability 3. Review VAR strategy 0

Customer & Partner Reference Selling

Best practice on rep to client reference selling, no leveraging good stories (wins / case studies) Missed opportunity

Reference Selling plan in place

Case studies, customer testemonials, joint press releases, win records and details by industry 0

OperationsOperations Team Leadership gap

Operations without vision, strategy or control

Regional, disparity among groups, no ability to control and standardize

Sales Excellence Director Starts October 4th 100

OperationsDistribution Team Structure

Regional distribution for house accounts

Lack of scale (cross training, supporting each other, best practice)

Centralize under single leader Complete 100


Stakeholder Management

• Stakeholders are peers – manager – divisional heads & YOUR TEAM

• “He/she has been here 3 months, where are the results”

– The lone wolf gets shot: It is about team and common understanding

• Control the water cooler

• The myth of “hired as a fixer”

• Disruption infrequently leads to sustainable change

• How The Might Fall (Collins) - Superstar versus grounded


A Results Sample: Operations

• SFDC expanded to SBIZ: 3X close rates, 0 to 20K+ per month

• No individual lead development Selling Power, HBR, Learning Library, 0%>67%>100%

• No automated forecasting: Automated with SFDC

• Centralized distribution: 40% more orders, no ^HC

• Implemented MME: Eliminated email noise

• Product centric training: World class need orientated, measured

• A sample of what is next (58 priorities in 2011 program)

– Sales social network and full sales content management (SFDC & Chatter)

– Further automation (Territory planning, Deep dive, Win/Loss)

– Meeting in a box (Selling Power inspired)

• Clearly communicated to all stakeholders


In Closing

• A few pieces of advice from great leaders:

– Pacesetting: WWII Crete vs Band of Brothers at Foy, Belgium

– Transparency: Better red faced once than pink 1,000 times

– Communication: Perception is reality

– Process: The “naughty 10%” against the “other 90%”

– Creativity: 30 Rock ‘Employee Idea Day’ & Tom Peters


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Recommended reading & references:

• Primal Leadership: Hidden Driver of Great Performance, Goleman, Boyatzis, McKee• First 90 Days, Michael Watkins, HBR Press• Picking the Right Transition Strategy, HBR Articles• Helping Newly Hired Executives Adapt Quickly, HBR Article• 111 Ridiculously Obvious Thoughts on Selling, Tom Peters

Documents

Sales 2.0: Leading a Sales Transformation